Bailed-Out AIG Forcing Poor to Choose Between Running Water and Food

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sent by protect_democracy since 74 days 18 hours 55 minutes, published about 74 days 6 hours 39 minutes
Middlesboro and Clinton are two tiny, impoverished towns in southern Kentucky with a combined population of 12,000. In 2008, Middlesboro's per capita income was $13,189 a year, only a few hundred dollars more than the average worker earned in third-world Mexico. That is if they were lucky to even get a job. Real unemployment hovers somewhere around 30%, and the state is so broke that half the people eligible for unemployment benefits can't receive them. Life may be tough and most people live in poverty, but that doesn't mean they can't be made a little poorer. That's the lesson locals learned after bailed-out insurance villain AIG took over their water utility and instantly raised rates to squeeze an extra $1 million in profits out of its new customers, forcing some to consider choosing between running water and food.
tags: aig, fascism, water, fraud, lies
12 commentscategory: Abuse of Power/Corruption karma: 153

comments

  1. #1    Just one question. Why did the people of Clinton and Middlesboro allow the public utility to be privatized?
    This is the inevitable result of piratization of essential utilities. The residents are sold this idea as a way to reduce their Property Taxes, reduce the Town Budget (or pay off a Town Deficit). Yes, the property owners got a break, but all the residents now pay more.
    And nobody saw it coming?
    written by CwV since 74 days 6 hours 54 minutesCwV
  2. #2    Daley is try to privatize Chicago's water supply as we speak. Especially brilliant after the parking meter fiasco
    written by PHred42 since 74 days 6 hours 36 minutesPHred42
  3. #3    That reminds me of my electric bill here in TX where the great idea of deregulation was instituted.............it is a nightmare!!!!!
    written by avahome since 74 days 5 hours 1 minuteavahome
  4. #4    America... land of the greed, home of the depraved
    written by colinjames since 74 days 4 hours 50 minutescolinjames
  5. #5    How did their water supply become privatized?

    Only 9% of the population of Bell County Kentucky has a college degree. The per capita income is less than $12,000 a year. One third of the population lives below the poverty line.

    How do they vote? Overwhelmingly republican. I'm quite sure they are now blaming their water problem on "librhuls"

    Ignorance just doesn't pay.
    written by bigbillhaywood since 74 days 4 hours 46 minutesbigbillhaywood
  6. #6    Even people without higher education posess "street smarts". Obviously, not in Clinton, not in Middlesboro. Are the people of those two townships totally dumb? Possible. Next question we should ask:

    Is it contagious?

    Possibly, and it is spreading.
    written by Malgoska since 74 days 4 hours 39 minutesMalgoska
  7. #7    They vote Republican down there, only vote Democratic Party in Lexington and Louisville. Typical bs poor people are handed, they take it because the culture is very fatalistic, they expect and accept "bad times."
    written by kevin3g since 74 days 3 hours 59 minuteskevin3g
  8. #8    Malgoska, the "Street Smart" move out.
    Uneducated people can be robbed with a pen and a fancy suit. If you came at them with a gun, they'd know what to do.
    written by CwV since 74 days 3 hours 39 minutesCwV
  9. #9    privatization of water and electricity should be considered acts of economic terrorism.
    written by yurbud since 74 days 2 hours 26 minutesyurbud
  10. #10    Yeah, when are they going to start metering the air we breath?
    written by kevin3g since 74 days 1 time 56 minuteskevin3g
  11. #11    #10: you just DON'T give them any ideas, alright?
    written by Malgoska since 73 days 23 hours 22 minutesMalgoska
  12. #12    I'm trying to find a way to package Oxygen Enriched Air in a disposable bottle to sell at Urban Exercise Gulags and for people that run along the commuter parkways.....
    written by CwV since 73 days 22 hoursCwV
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